Car-coupling.



W. S. LEE.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-8113M 1.

II 2 Q l No. 735,888. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1903.

ammo/who:

No. 735,888. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903, W. s. LEE.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLIQATION FILED MAY 18, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

(II JIIH" WWI/1 awvemtoz v 1 r .1 r I I f r y 1 @H'oqmua Tn OTO LITNOWASHINGTON C UNITED STATES Patented August 11, 1903.

WILLIAM SHERMAN LEE, OF MYSTIC, IOWA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,888, dated August11, 1903.

Application filed May 18, 1903. Serial No. 157,693. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM SHERMAN LEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mystic, in the county of Appanoose and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I. dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will en-' able others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and particularly to the Janneytype of coupler.

The object of the invention isto provide a car-coupler of this characterwhich may be readily uncoupled from the side of the car and which willautomatically couple when brought into engagement with the coupler ofanother car.

A further object is to provide a coupler of this character which will besimple in construction, strong and durable, and well adapted to the usefor which it is designed.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupler, showing the same applied.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, showing the parts closed. Fig. 3is a similar view showing the coupler open or in position to be coupled.Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. 6.is across-sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a similar viewon the line 7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the coupling-jaw.Fig. 9 is a detail of the latch or detent. Fig. 10is a detail view ofthe trip dog or pawl. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the latch pin orlever.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the end of a car.

2 denotes the coupler connected to the car in the usual manner. Thecoupler 2 is of the J anney type, comprising a head 3, shank 4, andpivoted jaw 5. The outer or engaging end of the jaw 5 is provided with ahorizontal slot 6, above and below which are alined vertical openings orholes. The said slot and holes are adapted to receive a link-and-pincoupling when coupled with a car not having a J anney coupler. The innerend of the jaw 5 is provided with a hook-shaped extension 7, the lowerouter face of said extension having formed thereon beveled engagingsurfaces 8 and 9, said surfaces being inclined from the upper ends ofthe extension toward the center and lower edge of the same, as shown inFig. 8 of the drawings.

In the forward end of the coupler is formed a horizontally-disposedcavity 10, into which the inner end of the jaw 5 and the hookedextension 7 are adapted to be moved.

12 denotes a horizontally-disposed cross pin or shaft adapted to passthrough the couplerhead at therear of the cavity 10, and on said shaftor pin is pivotally mounted a latch or detent 13, the forward end ofwhich is adapted to drop into the path of outward movement of the hookedextension on the coupling-jaws 3 and to hold said jaws in a coupledposition.

14 denotes a latch pin or lever which is adapted to work through avertically-disposed slot or opening 15 formed in the top wall of thecoupler-head. The lower end of the lever or pin 14 has formed thereon alaterally-projecting cylindrical lug or stud 16, which is adapted toengage ahole or opening formed in the side of the latch or detent 13 inadvance of the pivoted connection of the same. On

the rear side of the lever 14 is formed a shoulder 14 which is adaptedto engage a shoulder or offset formed in the slot or opening 15 to locksaid pin against casual upward movement when in its lowered or droppedposition,

thereby holding the latch or detent 13 down and the jaw in coupledposition. In the upper end of the lever 14 is provided an eye oropening, to which is pivotally connected a link member 17,havingrearwardly-proj ecting ears 18, between which is pivoted theupper end of the lever14, and an eye 19, arranged in front of the ears18. A horizontally-projecting flange 20 is arranged on one side at thelower edge of the link, and when the lever or pin is down and theshoulder 14 thereon engaging the stop-shoulder in the coupler-head theflange 20 is adapted to rest upon the top of the coupler-head in such aposition as to cover the slot in said head, and when in such positionthe forward end of the link is adapted to engage a nose or projection 17on the couplerhead, thereby preventing accidental raising of the pin orlever 14.

21 denotes a pawl or dog pivotally mounted upon the shaft 12 injuxtaposition to the latch or detent 13. On the dog or pawl 21 areformed shoulders 22 and 23,which are adapted to engage the opposite endsof a flange or projection 24, formed on the contiguous face of the latchor detent 13, at points above and below the pivotal connection of thesame, so that when the latch is raised by the lever let to release thecoupling-jaw one end of the flange 24 will engage the shoulder 22 on thedog and rock the point of the same forwardly and upwardly into the pathof the beveled face 8 on the hooked extension 7 of the jaw, so that asthe jaw is swung outwardly in the act of uncoupling the said beveledface 8 will engage the point of the pawl, forcing the same downwardly,which will cause the shoulder 23 on the dog to engage the opposite endof the flange 24 and force the latch downwardly, causing the same tofall upon the top of the hooked extension of the coupling-jaw in such aposition that as soon as the jaw is pushed in by the act of coupling thelatch will drop in front of the end of the extension 7 and hold the jawin. If for any reason the latch should become raised again after the jawhad been turned out, the beveled surface 9 of the extension would engagethe point of the pawl on the backward movement of the jaw, which wouldrock the same and cause the latch to fall upon the extension, as beforedescribed.

25 denotes a horizontally-disposed shaft journaled in hearings on theends of the car. The inner end of the shaft is provided with anangularly-bent arm 26, connected at its outer end to the eye 19 on thelink member 17 by a short chain or other flexible connection 27. Theopposite end of the shaft 25 extends to the side of the car and isprovided with an angularly-bent curved arm or handle 28, which isadapted to normally hang downwardly against the end of the car, asshown. lVhen it is desired to uncouple a car, the arm or handle 28 israised, thereby rocking the shaft and drawing up the latch pin or leverand raising the latch, as .hereinbefore described, thus permitting thejaw to be swung outwardly and the cars uncoupled.

29 denotes an opening formed in one side of the coupler-head toaccommodate the end of the hooked extension of the jaw when the same ismoved inwardly, and 30 denotes a projection formed on the side of thecoupler above the opening 29 and is adapted to cover and protect theprojecting end of said hooked extension.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventi onwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-coupler of the class described, the combination with acoupler-head, of a coupling-j aw pivoted in the outer end of said head,a latch or det-ent adapted to hold said jaw in a coupled position, alever connected at its lower end to said latch or detent and adapted tobe pulled upwardly to raise said latch, means for locking said leveragainst casual upward movement and means for releasing and raising thesame, a dog or pawl pivotally mounted in said coupler-head, meanscarried by the inner end of said jaw, whereby upon movement of the samethe said pawl or dog will be actuated and caused to engage and lowersaid latch to a position where it will automatically engage the innerend of said jaw when coupled and hold the same in that position,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- DQSSGS.

WILLIAM SHERMAN LEE. W'itnesses:

CHAS. PEARSON, RALPH MoMAHoN.

